It’s coming up on that time of year: flu season. And you might be wondering: should you get a flu shot while there’s COVID-19 going around?
Dr. Poland, infectious disease specialist at the Mayo Clinic, says it’s even more important to get your flu shot during this pandemic.
“What’s very likely to happen this year is we’re going to have seasonal coronaviruses causing illness, pandemic coronavirus causing illness, influenza causing illness. Here’s the problem. The symptoms all look like COVID-19. That is a demand on the medical system that we can’t meet nationally. So for your health, the health of your family, your community, please get a flu vaccine this year,” said Dr. Poland.
At the end of August, the Minnesota Department of Health reported over 300 COVID-19 cases hospitalized with 134 of those in intensive care. A surge in influenza on top of COVID-19 would tax medical staff and ICU capacity. By cutting down on flu cases, Minnesotans will conserve precious health care resources so they’ll be available for any who need them.
People trying to reduce exposure to COVID-19 may not feel comfortable going to a clinic for a flu shot. So many clinics will be offering drive-thru flu vaccination sites. They’ll be in operation by late September.
Last year, 53 percent of Minnesotans were vaccinated for the flu. The Centers for Disease Control would like to see 65 percent of all Americans get vaccinated this year.
So when should you get your flu vaccine? Here’s Dr. Poland.
“We’re suggesting to people they may want to get their vaccine a little earlier than what they might be used to. In that September timeframe. Don’t wait till November or December,” said Dr. Poland.
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